WORCESTER'S most famous son, Edward Elgar, was basking in his first rays of international recognition at this time exactly a century ago, thanks mainly to the leading German composer of the time, Richard Strauss.

The Berrow's Journal of 1902 was clearly proud to highlight the plaudits being heaped on the "local boy".

"The notable speech which Herr Richard Strauss delivered in Dusseldorf, at the supper held at the close of the Lower Rhine Festival, has already attracted great attention in Germany.

"The prime reason, of course, is that compliments to British music and musicians are extremely rare in the Fatherland. Even Herr Strauss, in his otherwise excellent speech, endeavoured to save his conscience by laying stress upon the fact that Dr Elgar, whose Dream of Gerontius' was one of the surprises of the Dusseldorf Festival, was 'an apostle of musical progress'.

"In conclusion, Herr Strauss asked Germans to drink to the British 'Musical Renaissance' and to acclaim Dr Elgar as the first man who had shown progress since the period of England's musical greatness in the Middle Ages."

The Journal went on to quote from England's national Daily News: "Herr Strauss was doubtless sincere, and we must make due allowance for after-dinner oratory. But, while yielding to none in admiration of Dr Elgar's genius, we may point out that the Worcester musician is not, nor would so modest a man claim to be, the only great composer which the United Kingdom has brought forth, even among living men.

At the same time, the wonderful success which The Dream of Gerontius has achieved at Dusseldorf is most gratifying. Its success, and the fact that it is included in the programmes of both the 1902 Worcester and Sheffield music festivals, will again excite a feeling of surprise that the oratorio has not yet been heard in London." (It was premiered at Birmingham in 1900).

"It has been said that the acknowledged difficulty of the music stands in the way. This, contrary to what seems to be the prevailing impression, is not due to the exacting nature of the choral work but to the difficulty which is always experienced in London of securing the necessary number of rehearsals with orchestra and chorus."

We know with the benefit of hindsight that Richard Strauss, the composer of such masterpieces as the Alpine Symphony and the opera Der Rosenkavalier", went on to be a great champion of Elgar's music and also close friend of the Worcester composer.